Thursday

The silent celestial cogs of the Earth, moon and sun align this month to treat all of North America to a total lunar eclipse, also known as the "super blood wolf moon."

Here's what to know about the stellar event on Jan. 20.

What is a total lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon and casts a shadow on the moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the super blood wolf moon is the only total lunar eclipse of the year, and the last one you'll see until 2021.

Why does it have such a long nickname?

"Blood moon" refers to the reddish color of the moon when Earth casts a shadow upon it.

“It’s the same reason we have red sunrises and sunsets,” said Noah Petro, a research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “If you were on the moon, you would see a little ring of red around the Earth’s rim and that’s sunlight that is coming through the Earth’s atmosphere.”

Petro, who is furloughed because of the partial government shutdown but considered “on call,” said the amber tint is why people call it the “blood moon.”

A "supermoon" occurs when a full or new moon happens at the same time the moon passes closest to Earth in its orbit, which makes the moon appear larger.

Petro bristles at the “supermoon” label, though, because NASA only considers the closest moon to Earth of the year a supermoon and that one occurs in February.

The term was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle as a way to define a moon that is at 90 percent or more of its closest approach to Earth. Under that definition, this month’s full moon is a supermoon as it is 222,274 miles from Earth, according to EarthSky. EarthSky also consider February’s full moon, which is 221,734 miles from Earth, and March’s moon, which is 224,173 miles away, supermoons. Since Nolle’s definition, others, including some astronomers, have picked up on the catchy nickname and brought their own considerations to the table.

“It’s a thing, but not an astronomical thing,” Petro said about the January super moon label. “But it is a good hook to get people to go out and look at the moon.”

January's full moon was traditionally called the "full wolf moon" by early colonists and Native American tribes, thus the "wolf" portion of this event's name.

So, there you have it. The "super blood wolf moon."

When and where can I see it?

According to the Farmer's Almanac, this event is especially exciting because you can see it anywhere in the Americas. If you live in the Eastern time zone, look for it to start at 10:33 p.m., and Pacific time zone residents can look for the moon at 7:33 p.m.

The moon will begin going through various phases, which will look like different shapes to the casual observer, reaching a total lunar eclipse at 11:41 EST and lasting for more than an hour. The entire event will take about 3.5 hours, according to National Geographic.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate for the eclipse, Time and Date will be live webcasting the event.